


How Not to Waste a Perfectly Useful Human to Gryphon Transformation

by misura



Category: Warcraft (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Animal Transformation, M/M, Trick or Treat: Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-05
Updated: 2017-11-05
Packaged: 2019-01-29 22:17:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12640338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/pseuds/misura
Summary: Khadgar (accidentally on purpose) turns himself into a baby gryphon and gets himself (honestly accidentally) thoroughly petted and admired by Lothar. Medivh has 100% nothing to do with any of the above whatsoever.





	How Not to Waste a Perfectly Useful Human to Gryphon Transformation

**Author's Note:**

  * For [twizzle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/twizzle/gifts).



> I kind of loved that you listed _Khadgar screws himself with an improvised/not practiced spell_ both as an idea for a trick and for a treat, so here's what was supposed to be a quick treat and then kind of grew into a small monster.
> 
> (author screwed themselves with an improvised/not outlined fic? ^^)

The teaching methods of the Kirin Tor had seemed to involve entirely too many detailed (and, Khadgar felt reasonably sure, superfluous) instructions along the lines of 'and you shall draw this rune with a piece of charcoal no longer than your pinkie and no thicker than your thumb'. 

By contrast, Medivh's idea of teaching him a new spell seemed to boil down to performing said spell in Khadgar's general vicinity real quick, mumble something about a book that might contain more detailed instructions, vaguely allude to a book that might contain contrary instructions, and then wander off to get on with the undoubtedly busy business of being a Guardian.

For the first few days, it had been refreshing, in a mildly annoying sort of way.

"Guardian?"

Right here, right now, Khadgar felt that there was something to be said for a teaching method that involved actual supervision.

"Can you hear me?"

In theory, Medivh was aware of everything going on in his tower. Karazhan was his sanctum, his place of power. He never seemed to have any trouble finding Khadgar, or telling when Khadgar had so much as thought about sneaking a peek at some of the books in the better warded sections of the library.

"I think something went wrong with this - oh."

Medivh looked ... amused, Khadgar decided. Which hopefully meant he wasn't about to get slammed into a wall, but still wasn't exactly what he'd call 'a good sign', Medivh's sense of humor being what it was.

"Animal transformation," Medivh said. "Well done. Good eye for the wings."

Khadgar shrieked. He'd meant to sigh a bit, but apparently, gryphons didn't have that capacity.

"Next time, you may wish to try for an adult one. They can fly," Medivh said, as if Khadgar might be unaware of this. "Still. A solid first effort."

"Um, thanks. Do you think you could maybe - that is, I seem to be having some difficulty - "

"Try not to damage any of the furniture." Medivh frowned, which usually indicated that he was about to change the subject and/or exit the conversation.

"Can you help me change back?"

Medivh blinked.

Khadgar cringed as much as his gryphon body would allow, which turned out to be a fair bit. "Please?"

"If you are attempting speech, please know that I cannot understand you," Medivh said. "I speak many languages, but gryphon is not among them. In fact, there is some debate over whether or not they even have one. We might discuss it once you have reacquired your original form."

Khadgar keened.

"Very well. A suggestion only. It is unlikely to significantly further your education, so I have no strong feelings on the matter. Have fun, then. Try not to be late for dinner. It inconveniences Moroes."

 

Reading was right out as a way of discovering a means to change back. It took Khadgar the better part of an hour to figure out a way to open up a book without causing any damage, and once it was open, he discovered that he no longer seemed able to read.

Khadgar was tempted to curl up and wait for Medivh to lose patience and come look for him, but given his luck today so far, Medivh might have spontaneously decided to take a trip to the other side of Azeroth and be gone for a week, if not two or three.

Moroes was unlikely to be able to help. Unlike Medivh, though, Moroes might, at some point, be able to grasp the nature of Khadgar's problem.

Provided, of course, that Khadgar would first be able to communicate his identity.

 

"Initiate?"

One small problem down, one big problem to go. Khadgar assumed Medivh had informed Moroes of his transformation, which seemed uncharacteristically thoughtful of him. (It wasn't that Medivh didn't _care_ , Khadgar liked to think; it was merely that a lot of the time, he seemed a bit thoughtless. Along with tactless, ruthless, merciless and capable-of-imagining-how-other-people-felt-or-thought-less.)

"The Guardian has instructed me to tell you he is expecting Lothar to arrive within another two hours," Moroes said, which was also thoughtful, if a little unusual.

"Why is Lothar coming here?"

"Perhaps he hopes the sight of a full-grown gryphon may help you restore yourself to your human shape." Moroes spread his hands. "I confess, these things are entirely beyond me."

Other things that were beyond Moroes included the acceptance of the fact that Khadgar was no longer the Guardian Initiate. Khadgar wasn't entirely sure what his official position was. Supposedly, as far as the Kirin Tor were concerned, Medivh had taken him in, so now he was Medivh's problem.

"Would you like some water or fresh vegetables? Tap your right front paw once for water, twice for food."

Khadgar wondered who'd come up with _that_ way of communication. He did feel hungry, but the thought of vegetables, fresh or otherwise, held little appeal. He'd much rather set his teeth into some meat, the bloodier the better. It would feel wonderful, to use his teeth and claws tearing into -

"Khadgar. Hold."

Moroes shot Medivh a glance that held just a glimmer of disapproval.

Khadgar sheathed his claws and tried to think fond thoughts of cabbages.

 

So. Medivh had known about Khadgar's problem from the start, probably from the moment Khadgar had started the spell.

For reasons that might or might not be limited to Medivh's own amusement, instead of doing the easy thing and changing Khadgar back himself, he'd summoned Lothar.

Lothar would arrive on the back of a full grown gryphon, which might or might not help Khadgar reverse his transformation. Moroes' theory did seem to beg the question of why Lothar's presence was required at all - it wasn't as if a gryphon might not be trusted to make the flight to Karazhan by itself.

Likely as not, then, Khadgar was stuck as a gryphon until Medivh got bored with the situation and/or needed someone to hold his staff.

 

Lothar's eyes lit up with delight the moment he caught sight of Khadgar, which was ... _annoying_ , Khadgar thought determinedly. _Very, deeply annoying._

He did permit Lothar to scratch his head for a bit, until Lothar's adult gryphon shrieked a warning and took a swipe at Khadgar that might have taken his head off if Medivh hadn't deflected the movement.

Well, it might have knocked him over, anyway.

Lothar immediately went over to pet his own gryphon, which was even more annoying. It wasn't as if the beast had done anything praiseworthy, after all, other than almost killing Khadgar.

"Down, boy." Medivh didn't do any scratching; he just put his hand on Khadgar's head and kept it there.

If he thought doing so would be enough to keep Khadgar from doing anything he wanted, he was deeply mistaken.

On the other hand, it wasn't as if Khadgar was any match for a full grown gryphon. True, he was smarter, quicker, more agile. Plus, the beast would never expect Khadgar to actually make the first move, given their difference in size. A normal baby gryphon wouldn't, after all. So maybe -

"Lothar. Shall we go inside? I asked Moroes to postpone dinner."

"I could eat," Lothar said, after giving his gryphon a final pat on the head.

Khadgar growled.

 

"You wish to train the beast as a new librarian?" Lothar asked, glancing at Khadgar.

Moroes had piled up some pillows by way of a nest. Khadgar had tried to be dignified about sitting down on them, but his gryphon instincts seemed to insist the pillows required extensive rearranging, and also that they didn't smell quite right yet, aside from a small one, which smelled like Medivh.

"No," Medivh said. Drawing out the moment.

Khadgar grumbled, which appeared to translate more or less fluently to gryphon.

"Good. It would be a waste. Such a fine beast." Lothar leaned over, extending his hand.

Khadgar wondered if he was really expected to forget about Lothar's other gryphon just like that. It would suit Lothar right if Khadgar did some swiping of his own.

He wouldn't actually _hurt_ Lothar, of course. Just a scratch, to show that he was serious.

"Careful. He's not quite tame," Medivh said. "Yet."

Lothar brightened. "Want me to take him off your hands?"

Medivh gave Khadgar a look. Khadgar glared at him.

"Not at this moment," Medivh said.

"Say, where's the kid?" Lothar turned his head, his hand still dangling in front of Khadgar's face. "Hidden away somewhere, reading again?"

Medivh did not immediately reply, probably because doing so would ruin his fun.

"I'm right here, thanks for noticing."

Medivh sighed.

"A real bookworm, that one," Lothar said. "Bet he's happy as a clam to be living here."

"I would like to believe he is," said Medivh.

"Well, maybe if people would be more interested in helping me instead of amusing themselves at my expense. No disrespect, Guardian, but you can't understand a word I'm saying anyway, can you? So what's the point in even staying polite?"

"Still, you should make sure he doesn't miss meals," Lothar said. "He's just a kid, Medivh. You've got a responsibility to take good care of him."

"Excuse me? Who's the one making sure who doesn't miss meals around this place?"

"You seem very taken with him," Medivh said.

"Who?" Lothar's tone turned a little defensive.

"Him." Medivh indicated Khadgar.

Khadgar wondered if his identity was only going to be revealed once Lothar had declared himself to be utterly and completely in love with him. Except not really him. Except sort of, kind of him.

"This is getting really confusing. Guardian? Commander? Can we maybe put a stop to this now?"

Lothar moved his chair a bit, leaning in closer. He smelled nice, although his pants also carried the smell of the other gryphon - who wasn't here right now, and so really shouldn't be on Khadgar's mind at all, given that it wasn't that gryphon Lothar was scratching in that perfect, delicious spot right behind his ears; it was him, Khadgar, and this was absolutely the nicest thing he'd ever felt in his entire life.

"Listen to him purr." Medivh smiled. "I would say the feeling is entirely mutual. Perhaps the two of you would prefer to be left alone for a while?"

Lothar rolled his eyes, which was an eminently reasonable response, and stopped scratching Khadgar, which was not. "Mind in the gutter? Doesn't seem like you, somehow."

"I am not unfamiliar with the baser instincts of men," Medivh said. "Regardless, it was only a joke. I am sure your love for the beast is as pure as fresh fallen snow."

"Thank you ever so much." Lothar shook his head and moved his hands in reach of Khadgar's mouth again, although this time, he seemed more intent on a few absent pats rather than a good scratching.

Khadgar tried not to be ungrateful.

"He's all right, then?" Lothar asked. "The kid? Khadgar?"

"He is as well as can be expected, given the circumstances," Medivh said.

"And whose fault are those circumstances, huh?"

Lothar frowned, still petting Khadgar, before he stopped abruptly, staring down at Khadgar again.

Moroes coughed, picking up the jug of wine. Medivh shook his head lightly.

"Khadgar?" Lothar said, sounding only half-convinced.

Still, at least he'd figured it out. "Took you long enough."

"You - " Lothar stared at Medivh, eyes narrowing. "Would you care to explain?"

Medivh shrugged and said, "We've been studying animal transformations," which was news to Khadgar. He knew _he_ had been studying animal transformations, but as far as he was aware, Medivh had been doing nothing of the kind whatsoever. "He got stuck."

"And you _left_ him like this?" Lothar sounded genuinely angry.

Medivh shrugged. "It suited my purposes."

"Oh, really? Like what? Do tell, Guardian, because honestly, I'm completely stumped over here."

"Your purposes," Lothar repeated.

Medivh sighed. "You are suffering from a mental barrier that is preventing you from showing affection to him in his human shape. It may have something to do with what happened to Callan's mother, or it may be a new, separate issue, possibly connected to his age or his lack of martial prowess."

"He's not a coward," Lothar said. He reached for Khadgar's ears again, seeming to have temporarily forgotten Khadgar's identity.

"Are you?" Medivh asked.

Which was, Khadgar admitted to himself, a pretty good exit line, even if it left him alone with Lothar, whose hand was still behind his ears, no longer scratching, because apparently, humans didn't have a scratchy spot there the way gryphons did.

"Well," Lothar said, staring down at him. "This is not awkward at all."

"Do you mind? I'm naked over here."

 

"So," Lothar said, once Moroes had kindly delivered some clothing. "He does this kind of thing often?"

Khadgar hesitated. Some of the Kirin Tor had spoken to him after Medivh had brought him here. He hadn't felt any compunction about lying to them. Anything it would take to get them to leave him alone, allowed to stay with Medivh, but not expected to do anything beyond that.

"He's ... complicated. I like him," Khadgar added. "He knows very much, and the sheer number of books he owns is incredible."

"Trust you to base your affections for a man on the size of his library," Lothar said. He sounded amused.

Khadgar shrugged. "I'm not saying I couldn't like someone who doesn't own any books at all."

"But it's unlikely?"

"Not at all," Khadgar said. Medivh _was_ complicated, yes, but Khadgar had never known him to be actually _wrong_. "So what's a guy got to do to win your heart?"

"I have no idea," Lothar said.

"Well, that's helpful."

"I suppose it might help when he's brave, and smart, and kind of annoying," Lothar said. "And a bookworm who gets himself into all sorts of trouble. How about you? What's the key to your heart, spell chucker?"

"I have a deep and abiding affection for people who use my name," Khadgar said.

"Sounds like I'm fresh out of luck, then."

"Well, I might be willing to make an exception in special cases."

 

"Guardian."

"Moroes."

"I have taken the liberty to prepare one of the guestrooms. It has a fairly well-sized bed."

Medivh hm'ed. "Your assumption that they will make it that far seems rather optimistic."

"Well." Moroes shrugged. "They might wish to rest, at some point. Possibly even sleep."

"Yes. I suppose that is possible."


End file.
